


A Day at the Beach

by Arisprite, username_goes_here



Series: Yuuko Ichihara’s Hitsuzen: Four Star Restaurant and Bar [17]
Category: CLAMP - Works, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, xxxHoLic
Genre: Beach Episode, F/M, Fun times in the water, Goody bags, M/M, Yuuko's trademark parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 08:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7093942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arisprite/pseuds/Arisprite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/username_goes_here/pseuds/username_goes_here
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuuko's company parties were legendary; expensive, ridiculous chaos. But, with family, friends and boyfriend, Watanuki might not find it too much of a hardship. </p>
<p>Or, Watanuki and Doumeki go to the beach, and we see what the Tsubasa gang is up to in the restaurant universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day at the Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is extremely delayed, and all I can say is life is crazy, and I'm going in many different directions at the moment, and unfortunately, fic doesn't always stay on the plate while I'm trying to juggle. I apologize, but I'm not really sure when the next bit will come out, but I do have it planned out already, so, that's something at least. 
> 
> I appreciate anyone who's still with me on this! You guys are all the best! Special shout out to Silkcut, who keeps me motivated, even if I'm really slow in getting back to her, sorry dear!

“Ugh, are you sure you want to go to this?” Watanuki complained, shoving his feet into flip flops, and cringing at the toe thing. Why someone would design a shoe that was only held on with one little nub that got jammed between one's toes was beyond Watanuki! Doumeki flip-flopped over, looking dumb and holding a bag with their towels and swimsuits in it. He had sunscreen on his nose. “Oh my god, you’re hopeless, c’mere.”

Watanuki grabbed Doumeki’s face, and rubbed at the spot beside his nose, while Doumeki looked at him cross eyed from being so close, and continued their conversation.

“You said Syaoran was going, because you were going. If you both don’t want to be there, we can all just leave and go get ice cream, or something,” Doumeki said, scrunching his face away from Watanuki’s rubbing, and offering a very logical solution. Watanuki rolled his eyes, and pushed him back. 

“Yeah, fine, you’re right. Now let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave.”

Doumeki nodded, and stepped forward, pulling him towards the car. They were heading to Yuuko’s Summer Beach Bash©, which was a party that she threw every year to celebrate/mourn the end of summer. It’s not like she was in school or anything, so Watanuki never really got why she threw it, except as an excuse to have a party. He hadn’t gone in about 2 years. The party after he turned 21 was a fiasco, never to be repeated. This time, he was going because as his cousin also worked for Yuuko, he also got the ‘exclusive’ invitation, and though Syaoran ha never gone before, they hadn’t really gotten the chance to see each other since the trip back east for his Dad’s wedding. So, they’d agreed to go, and bring their significant others to finally meet, Syaoran’s words. Watanuki had smirked at Syaoran’s wording, and teased that that meant that the date(s) with Sakura had gone well, but Syaoran had clammed up. 

So, they’d be there. The restaurant staff, the hotel staff, and whoever else Yuuko decided to invite, would also be there. Except Himawari couldn’t come, which was sad. It would be big and loud and too full of alcohol and strangers, but that was Yuuko for you. 

They turned into the parking space in the beach parking lot, and Watanuki was already grimacing as he got out of the car. The sun was hot, and the air was salty. The beach was busy still, though the families with kids were leaving, and Watanuki narrowing missing being whacked by the bags over a woman’s shoulder, as she in turn yelled after a gaggle of sandy children.

Watanuki stepped back, and into Doumeki’s shoulder, before growling, and flipping around. 

“Ugh, this is all your fault” he snarled, grabbing the bag from the back seat. Doumeki shrugged. 

“You said yes to Yuuko.” 

“At least she didn’t ask you to cook.” Doumeki fell into step beside him, and Watanuki marched faster, just because he was in a bad mood. 

“Only because I swore I wouldn’t come if she asked me.” 

Doumeki nodded at the bags Watanuki was carrying, making no move to help him. 

“You made dessert.” 

“For Syaoran! And Sakura. Not Yuuko. And not you, if you don’t help!” 

Doumeki took one of the bags without complaint, and Watanuki was torn between wanting to yell some more and gratitude. God, he was really in a bad mood today. He said nothing, and marched on. 

There was already a large crowd gathering, out on the stretches of sand. The waves were calmer than Watanuki usually saw (though he didn’t go to the beach terribly often, since it was a while away) and the sun was lowering in the sky, but not yet enough to turn the waves orange, or to cool off the air. There were people manning barbecues, and two large fire pits already going, and countless coolers of what was probably beer and soda. Picnic tables were covered with salads and things other people had brought, and Watanuki steered clear of those with his tupperware of milk cake that he meant to share only between those he wanted to. 

Yuuko was standing in the middle, ankle deep in dry sand, and wearing a far too skimpy bikini top and shorts, directing some poor employees on putting up a banner. There were strings of lights, and paper lanterns, and what looked like a dance floor. True to form, Yuuko had taken this above and beyond a simple party. She saw them approaching and waved wildly. 

“Watanuki, ah! And Doumeki, you made it!” Once she was close enough, she dragged Watanuki into a slightly damp hug - apparently she’d already been swimming. Watanuki squirmed. 

“Yeah, argh, get off, Yuuko!” 

Yuuko laughed, and released him, to give Doumeki a kiss on the cheek, which Watanuki wasn’t sure was better or worse. Doumeki wiped away lipstick, as Yuuko laughed. 

“Now, you two be sure to check out the coolers. We have beer~, and more! And there’s food coming, and a dance floor, and of course you must go swimming before it gets too cold-” 

“I think we’ll just set up our blanket,” Watanuki said, and Yuuko flicked him in the shoulder. 

“Have fun,” she demanded, and then flounced off, her hair in a long braid that swung behind her. Watanuki shook himself. 

“She’s like a crazy aunt on TV,” Watanuki said. “Do you have any like that?” 

Doumeki shook his head. Watanuki opened his mouth to respond, when he heard his name being called - his given name. 

“Kimihiro!” 

Watanuki turned to see Syaoran waving at him, coming near with a sweet looking girl following after him. Watanuki smiled, and felt some of his bad mood fade away. 

“Hi Syaoran,” he said, hugging his cousin. Syaoran moved back and politely introduced Sakura, though Watanuki was already sure of who she was. 

“Kimihiro, this is Sakura Kinomoto. Sakura, this is Kimihiro Watanuki, my cousin. And-” 

Watanuki’s politeness bit him, and he gestured to Doumeki. “This is Shizuka Doumeki,” he said, then blushed a little, but it’s not like they didn’t already know. “My boyfriend.” 

Doumeki nodded at Syaoran and Sakura, and there were handshakes all round. 

Sakura was a lovely girl, all rosy cheeks and gingery flyaway hair. She smiled at them with sparkling green eyes, and put her hand on Syaoran’s shoulder. Syaoran tensed like he wasn’t used to it. 

“Have you guys gone in the water yet? I’ve been trying to convince Syaoran that we should go swimming, but he wanted to wait.” 

Watanuki shook his head. “We just got here.” Swimming in the ocean - or in general - wasn’t usually his thing, but he’d go if everyone else was. “We just need to get changed.” 

Syaoran and Sakura were already wearing swimwear, so they nodded, and let Watanuki and Doumeki dig out their bag, and head to restrooms. Once changed (with much grumbling about dirty bathrooms, and why didn’t they put the swim suit on at home, and just bring clothes to change into?) they followed Sakura down to the wet sand. 

Barefoot, Watanuki cringed as he stepped on a shell, and then looked up out at the water. The waves were roaring, with white tops just barely breaking the tops of each arch. Seagulls screeched their awful noise, but the wind was nice, and warm, even though he was shirtless. 

“Okay, fine, let’s get this over with,” Watanuki said, not loud enough for Sakura to hear, since she looked so excited. Doumeki heard him, and bent to the side, to say quietly. 

“Ice cream’s still an option, if you want to leave.” 

Watanuki shook his head. “We’re already here. Might as well.” 

Doumeki side-glance/shrugged at him. “Could be fun.” 

There was something about his tone. Watanuki narrowed his eyes at Doumeki. “Why do you say that like that?” 

Doumeki’s expression changed only the slightest bit, but then, suddenly he was scooping Watanuki over his shoulder, knocking the breath out of him, and carrying him towards the ocean. Watanuki shrieked, and beat his fists on Doumeki, who was laughing nearly silently as he ran towards the water. 

“Put me down, you oaf!” Watanuki yelled, and so Doumeki did, on his feet - at least - into the edge of the water, enough to splash him, but not enough to dunk him. Watanuki gaped at him, anger and shock warring his some distant hilarity, before he reached down, and cupped a palmful of water, and splashed it right up into Doumeki’s face. 

He made a startled noise, and reared back, as Sakura and Syaoran came laughing up. They didn’t hesitate in joining in, teaming up with him against Doumeki. 

“Don’t worry, Watanuki! We’ll avenge you!” Sakura called out, as she bent to get a double handed scoop down Doumeki’s back. 

They were all quickly soaked, and panting, giggling as they splashed in the salty water. 

 

Turns out, this time around Watanuki found that while Yuuko had her partygoers surrounding the fires and playing in the waves -people like Sorata and his girlfriend and others from the hotel he didn't recognize- there was a large stretch of beach. 

They’d played in the water, and then when it got too cold, came back and got changed. Syaoran was smiling and relaxed as he watched them chat, and agree on different philosophies, as best as Watanuki could tell. Watanuki nudged Syaoran with an elbow to get his attention. 

“She's cute,” he said, smiling. Syaoran blushed like he'd expected, but then nodded firmly. 

“Yeah,” he muttered. He’d asked her out and it was going well, Watanuki knew. But it was still new and glowy obviously. Watanuki laughed. 

“Who knew they both wanted to go into the same thing. Well, sort of.” Sakura wanted to go into special education, elementary level, which Watanuki could already tell she’d be amazing at. Doumeki still was following his dream of becoming a professor of folklore; teaching yes, but very different. 

Watanuki was glad he’d found someone to talk about it with. He hardly ever mentioned it day to day, but it wasn’t that he thought it was embarrassing, or that by mentioning it, he’d be tempting fate and it actually wouldn’t happen. Watanuki wasn’t quite sure what it was. But, he hoped Doumeki knew that he was fully supportive, even if he whined about Doumeki having homework, or school. 

Shaking off the train of thought, he turned to Syaoran, who was still looking at Sakura with what Watanuki called a ‘goopy’ face. He elbowed him again. 

“I’m happy for you,” he said, after the dig into Syaoran’s side. Syaoran blushed, and smiled again. 

 

_________

 

Later, as the sun set and Sakura and Syaoran had wandered off hand in hand, Doumeki had nudged Watanuki. 

“We should find a tide pool,” he said, and Watanuki narrowed his eyes at him, before looking at the beach. The roar of the sea was as it had always been, and the sun was orange, tinging the stretches of sand in front of them. It was low tide, and vaguely, Watanuki recalled elementary school field trips to the shore to poke at shallow pools of water. 

“Fine, but I’m taking pictures and you can’t stop me.” Unbelievably, they’d had an argument earlier than day about disposable cameras. Doumeki for pro, Watanuki for using his phone - which was silly, because he actually liked photos by real cameras far better than phone snap shots. Though, those disposable cameras were stupid, the pictures were always unfocused and not centered, and you never know it until you develop the film. If they were still making them, they shouldn’t be. 

Watanuki led the way to the small pile of rocks that promised some interesting creatures, allowing sand to seep even more into his tennis shoes with distaste. Once they reached the sea rocks, Doumeki leapt up on top of one, crunching the barnacles under him, and lifting his arms for balance when the wind tried to shift him over. 

Watanuki rolled his eyes at the dramatics, and leaned against the rock, looking up at Doumeki. You’d never know it, but put a rock in front of the guy, and he’d stand on it. Even those small bumps in parking lots so you can use a perfectly good pull through weren’t safe. 

Doumeki ignored him, and looked out into the distance, at the setting sun, and the glittering waves. The light cast him in warm tones, and he looked - very privately - statuesque. Like a bronze figure, with freckles and a dumb haircut. 

“You can see further up here,” Doumeki, after ignoring enough of his implied ridicule. Then he put his hand down. “C’mon,” he said. Watanuki looked at it, and him, and with a glance that told him that the rest of the party was still way far away, he took Doumeki’s hand and allowed him to pull him up to stand beside him. If a second hand lightly rested briefly at his waist to steady him, Watanuki forced himself to not acknowledge it. It wasn’t too hard, the view was pretty distracting. 

“Oh wow, look at that,” Watanuki said, taking in the view. “You really can see far. Hey, I heard that whales come around here! Is it that time of year? Wait, no, I think that’s… well, not now.” 

Doumeki kept hold of his hand, and used it to tug Watanuki along with him, as he hopped down. 

“We could look up when they come, make another trip,” he said, looking backwards over his shoulder. 

“Oi, stay in one place for five seconds, maybe I wanted a picture, hm?” Watanuki protested as he hopped down after him. Then he processed what Doumeki had said, and nodded. “Maybe it wasn’t here, I think that’s further up north.” 

“We could go up north,” Doumeki said, with a quick smile. Those still made something spin in Watanuki’s chest, and he found himself nodding. 

“Alright… _when_ I can get time off, and you don’t have school. It’s not like you can skip out to go see some whales, idiot.” 

Doumeki was still holding his hand, and while he wasn’t smiling exactly, there was still something that was lingering. Watanuki blushed when he realized that he’d gotten way too good at reading those slight expressions. Why the guy couldn’t emote normally aside, it just showed he’d been spending way too much time with him. 

Not that he was planning on stopping. 

“Sounds good,” Doumeki said. “Whenever the whales are supposed to be there, we’ll plan it.” 

“Ugh, you’re ridiculous,” Watanuki said, because it’s not like it was a secret dream of his to see the whales, but yeah, it’d be fun. To go on a vacation with just Doumeki. This was sort of like it, since they’d had to drive an hour and a half, but still. “And you walk too slow,” Watanuki finished with, just for something to say, and because his hand was still in Doumeki’s but neither of them had gone anywhere. 

Doumeki leaned forward, and kissed his cheek in response, which was _so_ not what he meant, but not bad. Then Watanuki huffed, and set the speed, dragging Doumeki along as they explored the beach further, finally looking into the tide pools, and poking at the little anemones, and wriggling things, and snapping pictures of the tiny creatures and shells. Watanuki couldn’t think of a better afternoon. 

It turned into evening, and the sun sank past the horizon. The party was going full swing, with loud music blasting out over the sound of the waves, the smell of meat floating from the barbecue, and laughter as alcohol began to be shared around. Watanuki refused to drink any. 

“And if you have anything, give me the keys, so I can drive us home,” he said to Doumeki. Doumeki nodded. 

“Promise.” 

They found a space by the fire, beside Syaoran and Sakura - who were looking increasingly dreamily at each other, and holding hands - and competed at cooking marshmallows. (Watanuki won, because it didn’t count if Doumeki was willing to eat the burned ones, that wasn’t how the game went!) 

There was singing and dancing, and ridiculousness, and by the time Yuuko was handing out her goodies for the guests, and putting out the fires, Watanuki was nearly asleep on Doumeki’s shoulder. Luckily, Doumeki hadn’t drunk, so Watanuki allowed himself to be carefully nudged towards the car, without fully waking up. 

“Good night, Kimihiro,” Syaoran said, before they left. He was smiling, and had his arm around Sakura. Watanuki blinked, and smiled at Syaoran, hugging him firmly. 

“Good to see you, Syaoran. Keep in contact, alright?” 

Syaoran nodded fiercely, and Sakura giggled, before coming for a hug to him, and Doumeki. 

“So lovely to meet you both,” she said, with a charming smile, and Watanuki blearily smiled back at her. 

“You too,” he said. They left, waving, and Watanuki waved back, before turning his face back into Doumeki’s shoulder. 

“You good to drive,” he murmured, and Doumeki huffed, and nodded. 

“Just soda. You can sleep.” 

“Good.” Watanuki kept his eyes closed, until they got to the car, and then he fell into the seat, and smushed his face into the head rest. His glasses went askew, and Doumeki carefully took them off for him. “Th’nks…” 

The car started, Doumeki murmured something, and that was the end of awakeness for Watanuki. His last fleeting thought was, that that had been fun and he should do it again next year. So long as Doumeki was around to come with him at least. 

 

 

______________

 

Epilogue - 

 

“This is scary.” 

Watanuki and Doumeki, in Watanuki’s apartment the next day, and seated around the table, stared at the opened package. It was the grab bag door prizes, picked randomly (supposedly) from Yuuko’s party. Doumeki had apparently been given theirs while Watanuki was dozing. 

Doumeki nodded solemnly from Watanuki’s declaration, his hands folding in front of him, like someone was watching. Watanuki, frozen still, continued staring, speaking in a hushed voice. 

“Like, there’s no way this could be a coincidence, right? We were _just_ talking about this. We’ve never talked about it in her hearing, have we?” 

“Maybe she followed us on the beach?” 

Watanuki was already shaking his head. “We were out in the middle of the sand. Everyone was on the other end of the beach. There’s no way she could hear us.” 

The last time Watanuki had gone to one of these parties, he’d walked away with a random bag, and gotten a 100 visa gift card. Other people had gotten X-Boxes, and other expensive gadgets. The prime prize was a set of plane tickets, and two free nights in her hotel in Seattle - right on the water, where boats went out to see the whales all the time. 

In one of the bags, was a gift card to a _very_ nice restaurant. In the other, was an envelope. In the opened envelope, were vouchers for two plane tickets, and a handwritten note for a luxury room in Yuuko’s fancy hotel. Watanuki was annoyed and freaking out, but also… 

He picked up the tickets, and turned to look at Doumeki. 

“You know what this means? We actually _can_ go on a vacation!” 

It was sinking in for him too, and he huffed, and took the note from the table. Then he shook his head. 

“That woman,” he said, and there was so much meaning in his voice. Watanuki laughed, and took Doumeki’s free hand. 

“Well, okay then. We’re going on vacation. Sometime at least. I’m assuming that means the time off will be approved.” 

Doumeki nodded. “After this quarter, around Christmas time or just after?” 

Watanuki humphed. “Terrible time to travel. But, yeah, that’s good for me. Or, it should be. I’ll make it work.” 

“Okay,” Doumeki said, squeezing his hand. “Thanks, Yuuko,” he said, and then tensed. Watanuki glanced behind them. 

“You almost expect her to jump out, don’t you?” 

He and Doumeki exchanged a look, shivered, and then burst out laughing. 

 

 

Extra scene

 

Kurogane sighed as he dragged Fai off him for the nth time, shaking him and dropping him to the sandy ground, like he was a naughty puppy. The idiot had been high on life since he got to the damn party, and waltzing around, already drinking too much beer, and giggling with everyone. Yuuko was the worst enabler to him, throwing these sorts of things, and inviting them both with those arched eyebrows, like she thought she was subtly implying something. 

And yeah, maybe there was something to imply, but the whole hotel didn’t need to know that. 

“Get off, you dumbass,” Kurogane growled, again, as Fai wiggled his fingers towards Kurogane’s side. 

“Oh, come on, Kuro-poo! Have some fun. That’s what we’re here for!” 

Kurogane may have been slightly twitchy about leaving the hotel with only half its usual guards, and he may be missing his usual side arm, though there was no reason to carry to a beach party (and Fai’d probably just get sand in the mechanisms somehow, he thought, though that likely wasn’t true at all) but mostly, he just wanted Fai to shut up and act normal - like how he did on their two dates so far. But he had to insist on being an idiot, because there were people here he thought would judge him. Not for being gay - everyone knew that - but for some other twisted up reason Kurogane couldn’t quite figure out. 

Fai’s brother, Yuui, was tight lipped about their background, but he gave enough hints to Kurogane, when he was navigating the beginning of their little… thing, that Kurogane figured whenever Fai got around to telling him what made him so determined to fake a smile, Kurogane had better have practiced not looking horrified. 

But whatever. It would come, or it wouldn’t, but Kurogane just wanted them both to have a good time, tonight, dammit. And that meant Fai not getting himself silly and wasted, because that just annoyed him. 

Kurogane rolled his eyes, and reached down to grip Fai’s upper arm - skinny but surprisingly strong, and already missing his shirt - and pull him up level. 

“C’mon, we’re going swimming before you get burned.” 

The sun was hot, the water would be chilly and almost no one was out there yet, still arriving and finding the food and drinks. Fai resisted for a second, and then willingly let himself be dragged along. 

“They say that swimming puts you more in danger of getting a sunburn, Kuro-silly.” He smiled as they slogged along through the dry sand. “It washes off your sunscreen, and makes reflections so you get burned from above and below.” 

Fai lectured quite well. Kurogane wasn’t quite sure what he’d been doing, before he showed up and got a job where his twin was a chef. Possibly something to do with science. But a hotel has a lot of entry level jobs, and Fai made a good concierge with his instant charm and good looks. That it was all fake was a bonus, because hotel guests couldn’t see past the end of their noses, and it kept Fai smiling when nothing was real. 

He hadn’t smiled when Kurogane had kissed him. But, the return kiss was more than enough to reassure Kurogane of his interest. Since they'd been, well something. And that something allowed him to pull Fai along and into the waves, pushing him over to the sound of a squawk. Fai laughed and it was real. 

And well, that was enough for him. 

 

______________

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't fit the Kurofai in the fic body, but it demanded to be there


End file.
